Battle of Waldheim
The Battle of Waldheim was the first major engagement between a powerful fleet and the Phyrrian Decimator fleet. The RNS sent an impressive fleet of 54 Ships of the Line, representing approximately one third of their available forces, not including static defenses. Hancock Station and escorts arrived in system with the fleet, but did not engage the Phyrrians. The battle, at its time, was called everything from a debacle to a grand victory, though had the sad feeling of a Pyrrhic victory. While all 24 Phyrrians carriers were destroyed, the Sivadians lost 28 vessels and thousands of its brave sons and daughters. Nevertheless, the most striking conclusion about the battle was that it was won because of a false sense of superiority of the Phyrrians and the tactical missteps that arose from their belief of security in their dominance. More likely than not, it is not a mistake the Phyrrians will make a second time. See log Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night The Battle Approximately seven days after twenty four vessels of the Phyrrian Decimator fleet arrived, the RNS prepared a fleet believed to be of adequate strength to decisively defeat the hostile force and regain control of Waldheim. Admiral Julius Wallace Hayden, aboard the HMS Indefatigable, was given overall command of the force, while Rear Admiral Isabelle Maria O'Connell In order to counter the previously dominant Phyrrian sappers and fighters, several minelayers were including in the force to provide a buffer against the agile threats. In addition, a large number of frigates were included to escort and protect the heavier vessels. As the fleet entered the system, the minelayers were quick to disgorge their deadly cargo. Spitfires were launched the moment spindrives were disengaged. The Decimator fleet reacted to the arrival of the RNS fleet by sending forth hundreds of sappers and fighters. Upon approaching the Sivadians, they were met by a wall of laser fire and torpedoes, a tactic first used successfully in the first skirmish over New Luna. While this thinned the numbers dramatically, the sheer amount of Phyrrian small craft ensured that dozens upon dozens would survive. However, further fire and the mines also took their toll, and the small craft could not penetrate the line of escorting frigates, though disabled two of their number: the HMS Niatnuom Finch and HMS Triumphant. Sixth carriers broke away from Phyrrian orbit after the RNS proved that it was a worthy foe. It was at this moment that Captain Sir Randall Wallace Willoughby and his vessel, HMS Regreb Bay, began to show that his experience fighting the Phyrrians at New Luna and his expertly trained crew were some of the best the RNS had to offer. Despite quickly losing power to the shields after successfully destroying one carrier at range with a single volley of torpedoes, its pulse cannons claimed yet another. Despite their impressive armor, two more of the carriers were quickly vaporized by the combined broadsides of the four battleships of the fleet. In retaliation, the final two carriers caused crippling damage to the Regreb Bay, though insufficient to render it completely incapable, and began launching more sappers and fighters. Four more of the devastating ships purging Waldheim of life moved to join the two beleaguered carriers facing the brunt of the RNS opposition. The barely functional HMS Regreb Bay managed to claim a third carrier with its final salvo of torpedoes, while the HMS King Richard saved Willoughby's ship from outright destruction by eliminating the last of the original six carriers. However, the sappers screening the approaching four carriers quickly disabled the HMS Dreadnaught, HMS Monarch, and HMS Zealous. In retaliation, the struggling HMS Regreb Bay's pulse cannons managed to claim yet another carrier, while the guns of Commodore Theodore Thomas Chamberlain's HMS Spiteful claimed another. However, plasma blasts from a carrier crippled the HMS Vindictive before it could enter the fray, killing approximately half the crew and disabling the vessel for the rest of the battle. However, as the RNS managed to nearly defeat the second wave, the final fourteen Phyrrian vessels began closing. At this point, Admiral Hayden ordered the fleet to charge at the Phyrrians, frigates and fighters leading the way. The escorts managed to clear most of the sappers and fighters, but enough broke through to disable the HMS Indefatigable and the HMS Spiteful. Despite the best efforts of the RNS, the Phyrrians concentrated fire on the helpless carrier and destroyed the flagship of Sivad. In the meantime, the HMS Regreb Bay fired one last barrage of pulse-fire before power threatened to render the ship inoperable. Captain Willoughby ordered the vessel to be abandoned, and instructed a lieutenant to plot a course towards the nearest carrier and detonate the remainder of the ships torpedoes. The lieutenant managed to plot a course that wasn't intercepted, and the destroyer managed to account for its sixth carrier of the Decimator fleet. Most of the crew was able to escape with their lives. As the fleet grew close, fire began being exchanged in quick succession. The HMS Puma, HMS Courageous, HMS Daring, and HMS Harbinger all managed to score kills, though Captain Percival Blake Scott's Puma and Commodore Richard valerian Hazard's Harbinger both managed to kill two - the Puma, like the Regreb Bay, being yet another example of a battle-hardened crew showing increased skill. However, in the return fire the HMS Charger, HMS Daring, HMS Dubious, HMS Excellence, HMS Glorious, HMS Javelin, HMS Puma, and HMS Vengeance were all lost. Most tragically, the final First Rate Ship of the Line in the fleet, the HMS King Richard, was also destroyed. Phyrrian fighters were also able to rake the disabled HMS Dreadnaught, HMS Spiteful, and HMS Zealous. Without the automatic shutting of critical subsections after receiving damage, the crews had nothing to protect them from venting all atmosphere and dying of asphyxiation and decompression. In the ensuing chaos as the fleet began encircling one another in what could only be referred to as a slugfest, six more Phyrrian ships were destroyed. However, they came at the price of the HMS Banshee, HMS Courageous, HMS Implacable, HMS Insurmountable, HMS Onslaught, and HMS Prevention. Rather than continue to subject the remaining capital ships to enemy fire, the Captains of the HMS Eclipse, HMS Glowworm, HMS Vulture, and HMS Ynos all heroically attempted to ram their ships into the remaining two carriers. Though the Eclipse was destroyed by last ditch offense fire, the efforts of these last two vessels signaled the end of the space-phase of the Battle of Waldheim. With the enemy defeated, the Minelayers began to attempt to assist damaged vessels in limping home and picking up escape pods. Tugs arrived from Waldheim for the crippled vessels. Most important, five vessels of the Royal Corps of Marines arrived in system. As they disgorged their cargoes of marines and Spitfires, they also began to collect as many escape pods as they could. In addition, the NLM soldiers aboard Hancock Station valiantly managed to save hundreds of Sivadian lives with their search and rescue efforts. All told, however, the Sivadian losses were in excess of 4000 men and women. Of these totals, over 2/3rd were specialists. Aftermath The ground campaign, under the command of Brevet Field Marshal Gerald Rowland Sionis began. With each Legion-class Transport carrying a squadron of Spitfires and dropships as well as 2000 marines, the remaining Phyrrian fighters in orbit and on Waldheim were destroyed with in six hours of the end of the engagement, while all dominant Phyrrian ground forces were scattered within three days. Marine losses amongst specialists exceeded 50 percent (officers at a mere 12 percent), and more marines have been shipped to the conflict daily since its beginning. As difficult as the continuing ground battle has been, the refugee situation and environmental damage are proving to be the greatest challenges. The current fear by the Space Lords is that it may prove to be insurmountable. Saving those aboard the crippled vessels took a near herculean effort, but all survivors were removed within two hours. They could be found aboard the Legion-class Transports and Sword-class Minesweeper/Minelayers in addition to Hancock Station. After approximately eight hours, all the cripples were back in Sivadian space. Within two days, all the wrecks, including what was left of the Phyrrians, were brought to Sivad for salvage. As for repairs, they were still ongoing as of several weeks after the conflict. Personnel of Note Royal Naval Service Command Staff *Admiral Julius Wallace Hayden, HMS Indefatigable, *Rear Admiral Lady Isabelle Maria O'Connell, HMS Zealous, *Commodore Theodore Thomas Chamberlain, HMS Spiteful, *Commodore Richard Valerian Hazard, HMS Harbinger *Commodore Ashley Elizabeth Christopher, HMS Havock *Group Captain Lord Alfred Burke Bagsworth, HMS Swift *Captain Sir Randall Horace Willoughby, HMS Regreb Bay *Captain Percival Blake Scott, HMS Puma, Royal Corps of Marines *Brigadier Rodger Perry Ashdown, HMS Cataphract *Brigadier Gerald Rowland Sionis, Brevet Field Marshal, Waldheim Ground Command Awards, Honors, and Promotions The Captains and crews of the HMS Eclipse, HMS Glowworm, HMS Vulture, and HMS Ynos were all given the highest honors that the RNS can give for their sacrifice. The RNS Fleet First Rates (6) Carriers (2) *HMS Indefatigable - Lost with all hands *HMS Vindictive - Crippled Classes: Indefatigable-class Carriers Battleships (4) *HMS King Richard - Lost *HMS Dreadnaught - Crippled, all hands lost *HMS Monarch - Crippled *HMS Zealous - Crippled, all hands lost Classes: Formidable (3) and Formidable Mk.II-class (1) Battleships Second Rates (7) *HMS Courageous - Lost *HMS Daring - Lost *HMS Excellence - Lost *HMS Glorious - Lost with all hands *HMS Harbinger *HMS Insurmountable - Lost with all hands *HMS Spiteful - Crippled, all hands lost Classes: Audacious (2) and Audacious Mk.II-class Light Cruisers (1), Cyclone-class Light Cruiser (1), and Furious (2) and Furious Mk.II-class (1) Advanced Cruisers Third Rates (15) *HMS Banshee - Lost with all hands *HMS Brazen *HMS Charger - Lost with all hands *HMS Dubious - Lost with all hands *HMS Fervent *HMS Havock *HMS Implacable - Lost with all hands *HMS Javelin - Lost *HMS Onslaught - Lost with all hands *HMS Prevention - Lost with all hands *HMS Puma - Lost with all hands *HMS Regreb Bay - Lost *HMS Stoic *HMS Vengeance - Lost with all hands *HMS Warspite Classes: Tornado-class (4) Advanced Destroyers, Stoic-class (11) Heavy Destroyers Fifth Rates (26) *HMS Ambush *HMS Aniger-in-nova *HMS Dauntless *HMS Eclipse - Lost with all hands, Honored *HMS Enaj *HMS Fortitude *HMS Fortune *HMS Glowworm - Lost with all hands, Honored *HMS Inconstant *HMS Locust *HMS Meteor *HMS Niatnuom Finch - Crippled *HMS Nimble *HMS Perseverance *HMS Sodabrab *HMS Splendid *HMS Swift *HMS Triumphant - Crippled *HMS Unbending *HMS Vehement *HMS Venerable *HMS Venomous *HMS Vulture - Lost with all hands, Honored *HMS Ynos - Lost with all hands, Honored *HMS Wasp *HMS Zephyr Classes: Dauntless-class Patrol Frigate (26) Auxiliary Craft Fighters *Spitfire-Class Milspec Multi-Role Starfighter (approx. 60) Minelayers (6) *HMS Cutlass *HMS Epee *HMS Falchion *HMS Rapier *HMS Sabre *HMS Scimitar Classes: Sword-class Minesweeper/Minelayer Amphibious Warfare (5) *HMS Cataphract *HMS Knight *HMS Hoplite *HMS Myrmidon *HMS Phalanx Classes: Legion-class All-Purpose Marine Transports Notes and Clarifications *Mk.II ship classes are ship classes that have been upgraded or refitted with more advanced technology after the beginning of the war. *Ship classes are designated from Tanya's Guide. Sivadians would never refer to the Indefatigable-class as a carrier, but as a First Rate Ship of the Line. Like wise, a Tornado-class Advanced Destroyer in Tanya's to the Sivadians is a Tornado-class Third Rate Ship of the Line. category:Encyclopedia Intergalactica